For more than 20 years Solatube has combined traditional craftsmanship with the latest in innovative design and engineering to offer solar lighting solutions. Now with the launch of the Brighten Up series, Solatube Commercial is set to revolutionise the future of solar lighting in Australia with improved built in energy efficient benefits.
Engineered for optimum performance, the Brighten Up series is an innovative daylighting system providing controllable, consistent and comfortable daylighting suitable for residential, retail or commercial application. The system combines Solatube Commercial’s patented LightTracker Reflector and Raybender 3000 Technology to capture light through a UV filtering dome and redirect low angle light.
Installation is simple and requires no structural changes; a single daylighting device can be installed in approximately one hour. Factory preassembled parts speed up installation compared to conventional lighting by as much as fifty percent. The device provides natural light to any environment; from small spaces that are low on natural light such as bathrooms, corridors, laundries and staffrooms to large scale industrial and commercial structures.
The Brighten Up Series is unique in terms of where it can be installed; featuring adjustable tubing with angle adaptors allowing the device to be installed around any obstructions, while still retaining optimum lighting performance.
The series has already proved successful in the United States where Solatube International has won the approval of government and environmental agencies; including the non-profit National Fenestration Rating Council, which has certified eight Solatube products, including the Brighten Up series, with the Energy Star rating.
In most commercial environments, including offices, warehouse and retail stores, lighting accounts for more than 40% of annual utility costs. Energy consumption can be reduced by as much as 97% using the Brighten Up series which is designed to deliver optimum daylight while minimising heat gain during the summer and heat loss during the winter. Sunlight is a vastly inexpensive light source compared to electricity and as well as decreasing artificial lighting costs and helping to meet stringent energy regulations, it offers exposure to the many health benefits associated with natural light.
Extensive research conducted in the United States in retail environments demonstrates increases in employee productivity and significant sales increases of up to 40% in stores daylit by Daylight Devises when compared to those without Daylight Devises.[1] Natural light ensures products, particularly clothing and fresh produce, are portrayed in the best possible light, whereas artificial light can result in colours being misrepresented. Educational facilities also report improved student performance[2] and decreased behavioural problems in rooms featuring natural light sources.[3]
The Designer Touches range provides a selection of trim styles, diffusers and effect lenses, allowing the system to be customised to match the aesthetics of any environment. Optional lighting and ventilation add-ons, including a daylight dimmer, take the daylighting system to the next level and give consumers complete control over light levels throughout the day into the night.
1) Heschong Mahone Group for Pacific Gas & Electricity Company (www.h-m-g.com)
2) Heschong Mahone Group for Pacific Gas & Electricity Company (www.h-m-g.com)
3) International Journal of Biosocial Research